About Us
The Equestrian Team at USC is dedicated to achieving the highest standards in traditional equitation as well as leadership and responsibility. Our mission is to provide opportunities for students from all backgrounds to participate in riding competitions and training throughout their college experience. While everyone has different levels of experience, we are defined by our love of horses, our passion for riding, and our dedication to the team.
The team trains at Sunset Equine Farms in Shadow Hills, CA. Read more about our coach, Kathryn Burdett-Griffiths, here.
The Equestrian at USC Team has won six Regional Championships in the last ten years and placed 11th overall at the 2009 IHSA National Finals. We have sent many riders to Regional, Zone, and National Finals individually over the years as well. Last season, we took our sixth Regional Championship and placed fourth overall at Zone Finals. Two riders went to nationals individually, one placing second overall in her division.
We compete in Zone 8 Region 2 of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association. In IHSA shows, we compete in an offshoot of the show jumping discipline called equitation, which is judged solely on the rider and how he or she navigates a technical course of jumps while maintaing perfect position. Equitation is part of the famous American Riding System that prepares riders to compete in the highest levels of our sport such as the Olympics or International Hunter Derby Finals. What's unique about the IHSA format is that we "catch-ride," meaning we ride an unfamiliar horse and don't have any warm up. This tests the rider's ability to adapt to different types of horses and also levels the playing field so rider's competing in IHSA don't need to own their own horse.
The levels offered at IHSA Shows are:
Open Fences/Flat - 2'9" to 3' in height, typically riders with previous experience in medals, hunters, or jumpers 3'6" or higher.
Intermediate Fences/Flat - 2'6" to 2'9" in height, typically riders who have experience in the 3' to 3'6" hunters, jumpers, or equitation.
Novice Fences/Flat - 2' to 2'3" in height, any rider who has competed in a rated show but hasn't won 6 classes at 3' is eligible for novice.
Walk Trot Canter - typically riders who have a few years of riding experience, but have never competed in a rated horse show.
Walk Trot - typically beginner riders with no more than six weeks of previous instruction.
Every year we travel to Cal Poly Pomona, UC San Diego, University of San Diego, and Arizona State University to compete against up to ten other schools which include University of Arizona, Cal State Fullerton, Claremont, Whittier, Chapman, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbra, Mount San Antonio College, and Pepperdine. In IHSA competition, a Walk Trot rider's points are just as valuable as an Open rider's points which makes IHSA team's very encouraging groups with lots of team spirit!
Our goal every year is to qualify for IHSA National Finals as a team so we strive to support each other to be the best riders and students we can be.
Open Fences/Flat - 2'9" to 3' in height, typically riders with previous experience in medals, hunters, or jumpers 3'6" or higher.
Intermediate Fences/Flat - 2'6" to 2'9" in height, typically riders who have experience in the 3' to 3'6" hunters, jumpers, or equitation.
Novice Fences/Flat - 2' to 2'3" in height, any rider who has competed in a rated show but hasn't won 6 classes at 3' is eligible for novice.
Walk Trot Canter - typically riders who have a few years of riding experience, but have never competed in a rated horse show.
Walk Trot - typically beginner riders with no more than six weeks of previous instruction.
Every year we travel to Cal Poly Pomona, UC San Diego, University of San Diego, and Arizona State University to compete against up to ten other schools which include University of Arizona, Cal State Fullerton, Claremont, Whittier, Chapman, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbra, Mount San Antonio College, and Pepperdine. In IHSA competition, a Walk Trot rider's points are just as valuable as an Open rider's points which makes IHSA team's very encouraging groups with lots of team spirit!
Our goal every year is to qualify for IHSA National Finals as a team so we strive to support each other to be the best riders and students we can be.
Competition Results
2015
National Finals, Massachusetts
1st, Emma Wang - Individual Walk Trot
Regional Team Champions
Individual Regional Qualifiers
Emma Wang - champion
Emma Krenzke
Lisa Peng
Morgan Mammon
3rd Place Zone Finals
Individual Zone Qualifiers
Emma Wang
Emma Krenzke
2014
National Finals, Pennsylvania
2nd, Cory Cochran - Intermediate Flat
Chelsea Liu - Walk Trot
Regional Team Champions
4th Place Zone Finals
7th, Cadence Cisneros, Walk Trot Canter
Individual Regional Qualifiers
Zoie Naglehout, Open Flat
2013
Individual Regional Qualifiers
Zoie Naglehout - Open Flat
Tyler McClure - Intermediate Flat
Grace Ko - Walk Trot Canter
2012
Individual Regional Finals Qualifiers
Open Flat, Zoie Naglehout
Intermediate Fences, Katy Sherman
Intermediate Flat, Katy Sherman and Lauren Taymor
Novice Fences, Tyler McClure
Novice Flat, Tyler McClure
Walk Trot Canter, Alex Luizzi and Lily Phillips
Walk Trot, Kristen Descombes
Alumni Division, Julia Turner
2011
3rd Place Zone Finals
2010
Regional Team Champions
3rd Place Zone Finals
2009
Regional Team Champions
Cacchione Regional Champion, Annie Grove
Zone Finals Reserve Champion (qualified for Nationals)
11th overall IHSA National Finals in Tennessee
2008
Reserve Champion Regional Team
2007
National Finals, Massachusetts
3rd Place Open Fences, Braidee Foote
11th Place Intermediate Fences, Katie Spillane
2006
Regional Finals- Individual Open Fences, Braidee Foote
2nd Place Zone finals, Individual Open Fences, Braidee Foote
